NewZNew (Bathinda) : Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today reiterating his resolve to take Punjab to new heights of development and prosperity even as he castigated the Punjab Congress for dubbing Punjabis as drug addicts as part of a defamation campaign against Punjab and Punjabis.

Interacting with media persons after hoisting tricolour here on 69thIndependence Day, Mr Badal said the nefarious designs of the Congress had been exposed during an army recruitment rally in Bathinda recently. He said not even one youth out of the 5,500 who has attended the recruitment drive has tested positive for drugs during the mandatory dope test conducted on the spot.

Mr Badal said even Union Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar had extended appreciation and lauded Punjab for providing strong, fit and brave Punjabi youth to the armed forces. The Deputy CM said the malafide intentions of the Congress had been exposed and now the party owed an apology to the Punjabis.

On the issue of strengthening of borders Mr. Badal said he had written to Union Home Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh to deploy Border Security Forces on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir. He also commended the Punjab Police for the courage and valour shown during the Dina Nagar operation and said the Punjab Police was fully ready to give a befitting reply to any anti-state and anti-national activities.

When asked about any apprehension of terror strike, Mr. Badal said that there was no internal threat and that is why the centre was taking up the issue of strengthening of borders with Centre to avoid any infiltration or unfortunate incident.

On the issue of Member Parliament from Amritsar Captain Amarinder Singh’s absence from Parliament and infighting in the Congress Party, Mr. Badal said Captain was trying to contest next assembly polls on his own. He said Amarinder was mulling over the prospect of creating his own political outfit for this purpose and he had given a threat to quit the party. He said in nutshell Captain was a betrayer, who backstabbed Punjab and Punjabis. He said that after Patiala, now Amarinder was backstabbing the people of Amritsar by crushing their aspirations.

Answering a query regarding protest of Congress Party in Parliament, Mr. Badal said this act of congress had proved that they have throttled the democracy by sabotaging the session.

On being asked about the protest started by CPS Mrs. Navjot Kaur Sidhu and issue of Bhagtanwala Dump in Amritsar raised by Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Inderbir Singh Bolaria, Mr. Badal categorically said that the SAD-BJP alliance was everlasting and it was an unflinching bond. He said that Mr. Bolaria was only raising the public issue of his own assembly constituency, which was right of every citizen and elected representative.

Mr. Badal also said that some sitting MLAs of Congress Party were vying to join Shiromani Akali Dal and he would personally get them to join the party soon.

When asked about the recent statement of Mr. Jagmeet Brar stating that he would contest the next polls against Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister said Mr. Brar was most welcome to do this. “However he must keep in mind that he will lose his security deposit”.

Talking about Punjab’s current development scene, Mr. Badal said the congress party was misleading the people by giving wrong information and facts. He said Punjab had witnessed massive and unprecedented development in the last 8 years and the days were not far when it would become country’s one of the most developed and prosperous state since 90 percent of work promised by SAD-BJP combine were on the advanced stage of completion.

Mr. Badal also announced that Punjab Government was going to launch a massive recruitment drive in the state under which thousands of job avenues will be provided to unemployed youth.